Who is Lia Thomas? Transgender swimmer banned by University of Penn and the controversy around her

Mint

02-07-2025

The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to block transgender athletes from participating in its women's sports teams, the US government said on Tuesday, July 1. The announcement came as the parties settled a federal civil rights case stemming from the controversy around swimmer Lia Thomas.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US Department of Education said that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program.
The decision follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights that found the university of violating the Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions in 2021-2022.
Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender swimmer a Division I title (women's 500-yard freestyle) and has been criticised by President Donald Trump and Republicans in the last few years.
An Austin, Texas native, Thomas graduated high school in 2017. She was initially a part of the Penn men's swimming and diving team, where she made it to three finals of 2018 Ivy League men's swimming and diving championships. These include the 500-yard, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events.
The swimmer began hormone replacement therapy in 2019 and eventually came out as transgender to her coaches and team members of both men's and women's teams.
In 2021, Thomas returned to the sport, this time joining the Penn women's swimming and diving team where she was in the limelight following her performance at the Zippy Invitational event.
As she continued to participate on behalf of the women's team, the NCAA Board of Governors agreed to implement a 'sport-by-sport approach' in January 2022 to the participation of transgender athletes as of the 2022-23 academic year.
While Thomas said her team was supportive of her participation, 16 Penn swimmers anonymously complained that she was taking away 'competitive opportunities' in events including the Ivy League championship.
Thomas however won three Ivy League championship titles that allowed her to qualify for the 2022 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships, where she won one title. Penn also nominated her for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Following her graduation, Thomas refrained from participating in swimming meets and focussed on getting her law degree. During this time, in March 2023, the World Athletics Council announced that it was banning trans women from swimming.
Lia Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate of transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022.
Her participation in women's events sparked widespread outrage, with critics and some fellow swimmers saying she should not have been allowed to compete due to an unfair physiological advantage. Her supporters argued she should be allowed to compete as a woman.
Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes, allowing federal agencies to halt funding to any institution that does not consider birth-assigned genders in determining sex.
Under the terms of the settlement, UPenn will restore all individual swimming records and titles to female athletes affected by Thomas's participation.